Unfortunately, Goldman Sachs has rejected a shareholder's proposal that it run for political office as the next logical step in the corporations-are-people paradigm. Goldman's declaration, first reported by Bloomberg, came in response to a request from shareholder John Harrington, citing the Supreme Court's decision, in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, that corporations are people that have a right to exercise free speech by spending unlimited money on politics.

Harrington says Goldman is already warping the political process by pumping cash into political action committees and filling the ranks of government with its alumni. Everybody would be better off if Goldman just went ahead and ran for office itself, Harrington says.

"The Proponent believes that such activity would do less to undermine the integrity of the national political process and the company's reputation than the manner in which the Company currently wields influence over the U.S. government," Harrington's proposal says.